Ethics ends Roskam, Owens reviews

The House Ethics Committee will end its reviews into whether Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) violated congressional rules during privately funded trips to Taiwan.

However, the secretive panel found that Owens’ December 2011 trip to Taiwan was an improper gift because a New York lobbying firm was closely involved in putting the excursion together.

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But because Owens has already repaid the $22,000-plus cost of the trip, he will not be sanctioned by the Ethics Committee.

The Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent ethics watchdog, had called for broader probes into both Roskam and Owens. The Ethics Committee did not agree to those requests.

The Ethics Committee looked into whether Roskam, a top member of the House GOP leadership, accepted an impermissible gift when he and Elizabeth Roskam traveled to Taiwan in October 2011. The Ethics Committee approved the Roskams’ trip beforehand, but OCE believed the Taiwanese government and not the Chinese Culture University — the official sponsor — “was conducting and organizing his trip.”

Under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, foreign governments are allowed to pay for such trips. However, a lawmaker cannot accept travel expenses for a spouse or family member.

The Roskams’ daughter was also staying in Taiwan at that time, and OCE noted that the Roskams sought to include her as part of their itinerary for the $24,000-plus trip.

Roskam strongly denied any improper or unethical behavior, and he went as far as signing a waiver to allow the Ethics Committee to turn over to OCE the documents and materials used for vetting the trip. The Ethics Committee did not respond to OCE’s request for those materials.

Owens’ Christmas 2011 trip to Taiwan came under official review following a POLITICO and ProPublica report detailing how Park Stategies, a lobbying firm founded by former Sen. Al D’Amato (R-N.Y.), helped to organize the trip, although the Chinese Culture University was again listed as the sponsor. Under House rules, travel expenses “may only be accepted from an entity or entities that have a significant role in organizing and conducting a trip….”

An OCE report also stated that “information obtained by the OCE during the course of its review indicates that the government of Taiwan, in addition to organizing and conducting Representative Owens’ trip, initially paid Representative Owens’ travel expenses.”

Following the POLITICO-ProPublica report, Owens — who denied violating House rules — repaid the Chinese Culture University for the full $22,132 cost of the trip.

OCE asked the Ethics Committee in December 2012 for a formal investigation into the Owens’ case, but Ethics decided against such a move.